12.12.2006

More from Fallout Shelter Handbook

I finally got around to scanning some more of that incredibly popular Fallout Shelter Handbook from 1962 I posted about several weeks ago. I figured that it probably wouldn't hurt to scan more -- it offered me the chance to really check out some of the photos. Interesting stuff going on. The nature of some of the following scans require a closer look; if you click on each image you will be taken to its prospective Flickr page. Once there, select "All sizes," to view larger. (The same goes for the earlier post.)

For your convenience, I've now compiled all the scans from both posts into a neat little photoset for everyone to enjoy: 1962 Fallout Shelter Handbook.

Here's the table of contents for the Fallout Shelter Handbook by Chuck West. Starting it all off with a bang, I guess.

Note the double American flag display -- no guessing whose side this guy is on.

Throughout most of this book, it is stated that the average time a family will have to live in a shelter after an atomic attack is two weeks. Here's why.

This is a great page. I love how the women are building a shelter with their shades on -- always in style, even with impending atomic doom just around the corner. And yeah, "Raybestos" probably sounded like a good idea at the time.

To add to the potty images from the previous post, here's some actual potty rooms. Notice how the editor leaves a subtle snide remark to the old man's potty there on the bottom left -- "Below is an interesting innovation." (Read: "Below is the worst idea for a toilet in a fallout shelter. EVER.")

The Shelter-Cycle. I love this shot. Something about husband standing there, holding baby while wife gets a workout and generates electricity at the same time.

Again, if you wish to view the images closer, click on each image and then click "All sizes."

Would you mind if I used the book cover image in my blog? My blog is totally different from yours, but the image fits. I'm going to assume you won't mind, but will remove the image at your request. Okay?

thank you for sharing this with the world. We have an underground shelter just like this in the backyard of a "new" 1950's house we just purchased. it looks like the same plan in this pamphlet. No one has had the nerve to go down in it yet!!!